Quality Systems and Customer Certification

Abstract

It is usual for a components manufacturing business to hold formal customer approval for its quality systems before it can supply any goods. Such approval or certification is invalidated when a change to the plant location has been made, or if the processes have been significantly redesigned. Under such circumstances reappraisal is required, and this can only be attained following a satisfactory quality systems audit conducted by the customer at the supplier′s site. This article describes the structured approach taken to improve quality systems within a relocated and redesigned business in order to obtain customer certification. Areas requiring development included employee involvement, manufacturing control plans, modification control, internal systems audits, work identification, advance quality planning and a quality systems manual. The quality systems audits conducted by the customers are discussed, and recommendations for continuous improvement are made.

Citation

Panday, J. (1991), "Quality Systems and Customer Certification", International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, Vol. 8 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/02656719110141358